The New York Mets acquired lefty-hitting outfielder Jesse Winker in late July to fortify their lineup against right-handed pitching. At the time, he was having a solid season with the Washington Nationals, slashing .257/.374/.419 with 11 home runs and a .793 OPS in 101 games.
Winker has proven his worth as a difference-maker for the Mets, particularly after one specific game: the walk-off victory against the Baltimore Orioles.
Jesse Winker is red hot
According to SNY, Winker has been red-hot since that game, hitting a game-winning home run for New York and sparking an impressive run that reached seven victories in a row on Wednesday night.
Winker is pitching in to help the Mets win games
Accumulating 10 RBIs in his last 13 games while not playing every day is impressive. Winker, of course, has always been a solid hitter, but consistency isn’t always there.
This year, however, he seems highly motivated to be part of a playoff push, and his performance in those last 13 games proves it. He has been a contact king, a run producer, and a power source for the Mets over that span.
Those numbers, of course, include Wednesday’s efforts, when he went 1-for-3 with a grand slam, a walk, and two runs scored in the 8-3 win to finish a sweep of the Red Sox.
He took Tanner Houck deep over the left-center field fence in the opening frame, and they wouldn’t look back after that.
Much has been talked about Francisco Lindor leading the Mets, Pete Alonso reaching 30 home runs again, or Mark Vientos’ breakout season, not to mention the recent performances of the rotation. Winker, however, is an underrated part of this lineup and is now very hard to take out given his excellent performance.
Once again, the savvy Mets’ front office struck gold with a trade acquisition without giving up too much in return.
